Alex Hales added to England squad for Pakistan series, T20 World Cup

Batter Alex Hales has been called up to England's ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow after a left ankle injury sustained last week ended his chances of playing in the tournament.

Hales, 33, who last represented England in March 2019, has also been added to the T20I squad for the tour of Pakistan.

Hales was withdrawn from the preliminary 50-overs World Cup squad that year after the Guardian newspaper reported he was serving a three-week ban for recreational drug use.

Hales has played 60 T20Is so far, scoring eight fifties and one century.

T20 World Cup squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Alex Hales, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Reserves: Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Tymal Mills

Pakistan tour squad: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Richard Gleeson, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Olly Stone, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Luke Wood, Mark Wood, Alex Hales